Viveport content to become available for Oculus Rift: HTC

Taipei, Viveport, a virtual reality app store of Taiwan-based smartphone brand HTC Corp., will now support a VR headset developed by its rival Oculus VR, according to HTC.

HTC said its decision to made Viveport content available for the Oculus Rift headset showed its commitment to "connecting content creators to global audiences."

Oculus VR is a division of the social media giant Facebook, one of the global tech companies that have invested in the VR business.

"By adding support for Oculus Rift, we're doubling the potential user base for Viveport developers," Viveport president Rikard Steiber said in a statement. "Viveport continues to offer the most opportunities for developers to monetize their VR content. From Viveport and Viveport Subscription, to availability on Amazon and in Viveport Arcade, we're going to continue to expand and reach the largest global audience possible on developers' behalf."

The full launch of the content is set for Sept. 4, HTC said, adding that developers can now opt for their titles to be displayed as Oculus Rift compatible.

Currently, there are almost 500 titles in the Viveport Subscription library and adding Viveport's support for Oculus Rift is expected to create a diverse and engaging range of experiences and appeal to a wider audience base, HTC said.

While HTC has intensified its efforts in VR development, its VR operations account for only a small fraction of its total sales, which remain in the doldrums amid escalating competition in the global smartphone market.

HTC reported consolidated sales of NT$1.4 billion (US$45.45 million) for July, down 77.41 percent from a year earlier and 37.26 percent from a month earlier. The July figure was the lowest since August 2003, when the company's revenue was NT$1.33 billion.

In the first seven months of the year, HTC's consolidated sales were down 53.98 percent year-on-year at NT$16.96 billion.

In early July, the company said it would lay off of 1,500 employees, about a quarter of its worldwide workforce, by the end of September.